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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24318016">Yashabeaujesterfjordnottcaleb</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarshmalowMilkshake/pseuds/MarshmalowMilkshake'>MarshmalowMilkshake</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>What Could Have Been (Critical Role oneshots) [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Critical Role (Web Series)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Campaign 2 (Critical Role), M/M, Resurrection, widomauk</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 04:28:59</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,059</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24318016</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarshmalowMilkshake/pseuds/MarshmalowMilkshake</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The world around him was black. He coughed, and rolled over onto his stomach, and propped himself up on his elbows. Blood splattered past his lips, but vanished as it hit the ground. Pushing himself into a seated position, he brought a hand to his chest, and it hovered over a gaping wound that seemed suspended in time.</p><p>He had died. </p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Mollymauk Tealeaf/Caleb Widogast</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>What Could Have Been (Critical Role oneshots) [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1952554</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>152</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Part 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The world around him was black. He coughed, and rolled over onto his stomach, and propped himself up on his elbows. Blood splattered past his lips, but vanished as it hit the ground. Pushing himself into a seated position, he brought a hand to his chest, and it hovered over a gaping wound that seemed suspended in time.</p><p>He had died. </p><p>His red eyes looked up, trying to understand what had happened to him. The black world around him changed, and out of the shadows objects seemed to grow, gaining color and form. He was in a cold room of stone brick. As he stood, he noticed that there were carvings, symbols, etched into the stone.</p><p>“About time you died.” A familiar voice said to him, but the words sounded wrong.</p><p>Molly turned around, and was met with familiar features. The same red eyes, lavender skin, purple hair, and curl of the horns.</p><p>Lucien's eyes widened as he saw the tattoo resting over Molly's neck, and in front of his ear. “What did you <em> do?” </em> He hissed.</p><p>“I decorated.” Molly replied. “Tried to cover up those hideous eyes.”</p><p>“You tried to cover them?” Lucien snarled. “You desecrator! You have no idea what you’ve done!”</p><p>“I know exactly what I’ve done!” Molly returned just as angrily.</p><p>“Oh you do?” Lucien hissed. “You know what you’ve stolen?”</p><p>“How could I steal if whatever it was had no owner?” Molly inquired.</p><p>“This body! This legacy! <em> My body, my legacy! </em> You flounce around like a peacock, destroying what I built!” </p><p>“From what I’ve heard, you died. This wasn’t yours anymore.” Molly replied. “And Tomb-Takers? Really? What kind of name is that?”</p><p>Lucien snarled. <em> “You know nothing!” </em></p><p>“I know plenty of things.” Molly smirked.</p><p>“You are simply a child walking in another’s body.” Lucien said. “But no more. Soon, I will wake, and you will be left here, alone, with whatever memories your mind holds.”</p><p>“How can you be so certain that you’ll wake up? I mean,<em> I </em>was the one who crawled out of a grave, not you.” Molly said.</p><p>“I know what to do now. This time, it will go as I planned.” Lucien said.</p><p>“It didn’t go well for you last time. And now you have me to deal with.” Molly smirked.</p><p>“You are insignificant. You couldn’t be anywhere near my level of skill, not without proper training, without all the knowledge, without control of the powers that my body holds.” Lucien said, a wicked grin on his face.</p><p>“Oh? What power? The one that you use your blood to fuel?” Molly smirked. “The one that makes others go blind and bleed from their eyes? The one that makes your blades light up with magic?”</p><p>Lucien’s eyes widened.</p><p>“Oh, yeah. I know plenty.” Molly chimed.</p><p>“You don’t have the experience.”</p><p>“Probably not, but being a mercenary for hire recently has given me quite the adventure.”</p><p>“Is that how you died?” Lucien chuckled. “As a pathetic mercenary?”</p><p>“If you must know, it was Lorenzo who killed me.” Molly pointed to the frozen-in-time wound on his chest. “Glaive hurt like a sonofabitch.”</p><p>“Lorenzo? From the Iron Shepherds?” Lucien asked.</p><p>“Yeah, that one. Bald, ugly human guy.” Molly examined the wound a bit closer, and made himself queasy with how deep into his chest his hand could reach.</p><p>“Why would you go after them? They are beyond your league.”</p><p>“They took our friends.” Molly replied. Then he brushed off imaginary dust from his clothes. “Speaking of, I really should get back to them.”</p><p>“You aren’t going anywhere! It’s my body you have vandalized, and I shall take it back.” Lucien said in a voice that would have been commanding to anyone else.</p><p>“No. You are not waking up again.” Molly said. “Even if I stay dead, so will you.”</p><p>Lucien laughed. “And why is that?”</p><p>“You are not a good person.” Molly said. “And I’m not a good person, but I am a better one.”</p><p>“You think a Blood Hunter to be a good person? Blood Hunters use the dark to destroy evil. Good is a relative term, and not applicable to the likes of us.” Lucien said.</p><p>“I’ve done good. I’ve left every town better than I found it. Every single one. You can’t say the same.” Molly said firmly.</p><p>“I can certainly say I’m not that naive.” Lucien snorted. “This is a fool’s game.”</p><p>“If this is a fool’s game, then you are playing it too.” Molly retorted. “I wondered what you were like as a person, Lucien, but it didn’t matter to me because I wasn’t you. Now I wish that I had never known you. You’re an asshole. And not a good one.”</p><p>“You know my name?” Lucien asked. Then he scoffed. “You mentioned the Tomb-Takers, why am I surprised?”</p><p>“I don’t know. Cree was mighty excited to see me though. Thought I was you.” Molly smirked.</p><p>Lucien snarled. “That is enough! This is over!” And he launched at Molly.</p><p>They grappled, neither gaining leverage against the other. </p><p>“So,” Molly grunted, “How do you wake up?”</p><p>“Body is empty,” Lucien huffed, but before he could finish, Molly cackled. </p><p>“What is so funny?” Lucien demanded.</p><p>“For weeks, all I could say was ‘Empty’.” Molly kept cackling, even as they fought.</p><p>“Just die already!” Lucien snarled. “Get out of my body!”</p><p>“So, if this is about our minds and memories, yeah?” Molly asked. “Then shouldn’t it be a battle of the mind?”</p><p>Lucien froze for a second. “You’re right.” Then he pushed Molly away. “This is a battle of the mind. But what will do you have? What do you have to hold on to? You’re dooming yourself now. What is your name, anyway? I want to know the name of the one who stole my body.”</p><p>“Mollymauk Tealeaf,” Molly chirped. “Molly to my friends, but considering you aren’t, that would just be Mollymauk, or Mr. Tealeaf if you feel fancy.”</p><p>Lucien’s lip curled. “An outlandish name for an outlandish thief.”</p><p>“Well, I am outlandish, but not a thief. I don’t steal. If we’re talking about this body though, I guess you could say I recycle.” Molly retorted.</p><p>“When I find your friends, they’ll wish they’d never met you.” Lucien said, suddenly gaining a calm anger. The one that stills your muscles and powers your bones.</p><p>“All of them, against you? You wouldn’t stand a chance.” Molly said.</p><p>“Oh, but what if they think I’m you?” Lucien’s eyes glinted.</p><p>Molly’s eyes widened, and then the floor dropped out from under them. </p><p>Molly thought as hard as he could, felt as much of the emotions as he could, felt as alive as he could. The circus, his friends. Yasha. Beau. Jester. Fjord. Nott. Caleb. </p><p>Yasha, Beau, Jester, Fjord, Nott, Caleb.</p><p>YashaBeauJesterFjordNottCaleb.</p><p>Yashabeaujesterfjordnottcaleb.</p><p>Yashabeaujesterfjordnottcalebyashabeaujesterfjordnottcaleb.</p><p>Molly poured all his love and life into the chant, and the individual words lost their meaning, but on the memories played in flashes, and emotions wracked through like waves one right after another. At least, he imagined so. He’d never actually been to the ocean. </p><p>“Well, I don’t believe I’ve ever seen a group of people in more need of a good time in my entire life!”</p><p>“Because I’m weird!”</p><p>“Well, it’s a little late ‘cause I already took mine-”</p><p>“How’s the new management working out?”</p><p>“There’ll be time for that later.”</p><p>“-Can’t hold their liquor, it’s really embarrassing-”</p><p>“Watcha lookin for?”</p><p>“Yes, that’s how I know you can afford us.”</p><p>“I’m always ready to make a damn fool of myself.”</p><p>“-Would you agree that the previous leadership has probably failed you on some level?”</p><p>“Oh, we’re even for the teleport now.”</p><p>“I don’t care where anyone’s from. It’s nice. I certainly don’t care where I’m from.”</p><p>“There's nothing better than waking up with no pants and flowers in your hair.”</p><p>“Never trust the truth. The truth is vicious, the truth thinks that you owe it something… None of that. I like my bullshit. It’s good, it’s happy, it makes other people happy.”</p><p>“It makes… I tend to find it’s just easier to look into somebody’s eyes and figure out if they’re lying to you, if they’re naked and boiling.”</p><p>“I am your god! Long may I reign!”</p><p>“I don’t want to remember anything, I don’t want anybody else’s baggage in my head, I don’t want anybody else’s problems, thoughts, ideas… I like this person, right now, is a good person, is a fine person, is a happy person.”</p><p>“Let me make this abundantly clear: My name is Molly. That person is dead, and not me. It's just a person who had this body. They abandoned it. It's mine now.”</p><p>Then he felt pain, physical pain.</p><p>~~~~~~</p><p>It took a terrifyingly long time to dig himself out of the earth. His hands curled themselves up in the ground, and he spent a few minutes breathing heavily. As he did, he looked at the flowers that had grown around the patch. A few mushrooms dotted around the space too.</p><p>He then pulled himself the rest of the way out. Staggering as he put weight on his feet, He turned to see a coat hanging loyally on a stick. Slipping it on, he found that it fit comfortably. Looking down, he pulled the tapestry up too, and hung it over his shoulders to protect him from the cold. </p><p>He began to walk down the road, as if guided by an invisible force. Quite a ways away from where he’d come from, he heard someone shout behind him.</p><p>“Hey! Hey!” The woman’s voice was angry. “Stop right there!”</p><p>He turned around to see what the commotion was. A short… Woman, with a stubble beard, wearing full plate armor and wielding an axe and warhammer was running up to him. He stared dumbly at the approaching figure, until she stopped dead in her tracks.</p><p>“Molly?” She gaped.</p><p>He blinked. It sounded familiar, but he couldn’t place where from.</p><p>“Molly? Is that you?” She asked.</p><p>He stared at her.</p><p>“Say something!” She demanded, gripping the handles of her weapons tightly.</p><p>He opened his mouth, but only a garbled choking noise escaped. He coughed, and coughed, and kneeled to keep his balance as he coughed some more. He saw a few muddy red blobs hit the ground.</p><p>“Shit! Molly!” The woman exclaimed, and dropped her weapons before clanking to her knees beside him.</p><p>As his coughing fit subsided, she helped him straighten up. The tapestry fell from around his shoulders, and he shivered. Pulling it back up, the woman paused at the red on his chest. “My god,” She murmured, and pulled his shirt to the side to look at the wound. She winced as he looked down in curiosity.</p><p>“Does it hurt?” She asked.</p><p>He didn’t know.</p><p>She poked at an area close to the wound. Without his inclination, a growling hiss ripped through his throat. She winced herself. “Okay, I get it. No need to infernal at me.”</p><p>He wrapped the tapestry around himself, and tried to get to his feet. The woman scrambled up and helped him. He turned to continue walking.</p><p>“Hey! Where are you going?” The woman demanded.</p><p>He frowned. And pointed down the road.</p><p>An odd gurgling strangled noise came from the woman’s throat, before she tromped over to her weapons, sheathed them, and clonked over to him. She gave him a long look, and he tilted his head. “Do you understand me?”</p><p>His mouth twitched, and he swallowed. He nodded.</p><p>“Okay. Good. What do you remember?”</p><p>His brows furrowed. He pointed behind to the flowers and where the coat had been.</p><p>“The grave?” The woman scowled. “That’s all you remember?”</p><p>He nodded. Grave. Grave… Dead people were in graves. He had been dead. He moved the tapestry aside to look at his wound again briefly. It did not look well. The cold forced him to cover himself again.</p><p>“Okay, not as good.” The woman said. “I know they said you died before, but I thought they’d just made it up.”</p><p>He looked down at her with a tilted head and furrowed brows. She felt his gaze on her, and looked up at him. “Apparently you died before. I don’t know, okay? I just met you guys. Your friends are going to freak out.”</p><p>He felt an odd tug in his gut, and thickness to his throat. “Friends?” He croaked.</p><p>The woman’s eyes snapped to him. “You can talk.” She blinked. “Oh, uh, uh, Yeah. Your friends. Um, Beau?” She rubbed at her cheeks for a second. “Nott, Caleb.”</p><p>Nott. Caleb. Nott Caleb. Nottcalebyashabeaujesterfjordnottcaleb- “Yashabeaujesterfjordnottcaleb,” He garbled out. “Yashabeaujesterfjordnottcaleb.”</p><p>The woman’s eyes widened drastically. “You remember!”</p><p> “Yashabeaujesterfjordnottcaleb.” He said absently. “Yashabeaujesterfjordnottcaleb.”</p><p>Her shoulders sunk, recognizing a chant when she heard one. At least he remembered their names. </p><p>~~~~~~</p><p>Beauregard was doing her morning workout when she heard an unfamiliar voice in her head.</p><p>“Beau, this is a message from Keg. I found Molly, alive. He’s out of it. I’ll take him to where you are if you say.”</p><p>Beau felt as if her heart stopped beating. “What?” She whispered. Then it clicked, and she fell from her push-up and into the ground. “Holy fuck! Holy fuck! We’re uh-!” She stuttered, freaking out and spitting dirt from her mouth. “ -We’re heading to Felderwin! From the… Nicodranas! From Nicodranas! Going to Felderwin! Oh my gods, holy shit.” She realized she’d probably run out of words, and vaguely understood Jester’s struggle.</p><p>What just happened?</p><p>Beau’s heart hurt from how fast it was beating. And her eyes stung, the pain from losing Molly hitting her again full force. This time there was relief and trepidation there too. She stood and shook her limbs, as if to fling the emotion off like water.</p><p>She heard her friend’s voices as they got breakfast together, and meandered back over to them.</p><p>“Beau- Are you okay?” Fjord began with a light tone, but as soon as he saw her red-rimmed eyes it changed to concern.</p><p>“I uh…” She swallowed. “I uh. I got a message. Like what Jester does. Um.”</p><p>“Did someone die?” Jester asked softly.</p><p>A short, strangled laugh escaped Beau’s chest. “... Yeah. Someone died.” She couldn’t just say it was Molly back from the dead, because what if it was Lucien? Or someone else entirely? She couldn’t get their hopes up. And if it was Lucien, she couldn’t bear the thought of having to fight him.</p><p>Jester had Beau wrapped in a hug within a second, and then Nott joined, though she was much shorter than Jester and could only get her arms around Beau’s legs. Fjord placed a hand at her back, comforting in its weight. Caleb awkwardly pat her shoulder for a moment. Yasha bowed her head.</p><p>“I could make some tea if you’d like.” Caduceus offered, as he was too far away to join the hug at the moment.</p><p>Another strained laugh jumped out of Beau. Here her friends were, comforting her when she was lying to them. No, not lying, hiding the truth. Omitting information. It made her feel worse. But dead people tea… Beau couldn’t help but think that Molly would eagerly jump at the chance. So she looked at Caduceus and nodded.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Part 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Keg tried to tell Molly about the Mighty Nein, as much as she could. It wasn’t much. Molly felt warm when she mentioned their names, and decided that he liked it. Molly. That was his name. It had taken some time for him to figure it out, but it felt right.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Molly tried to imagine his friends, but couldn’t get a clear image besides Keg’s awkward simple descriptions. Instead he gauged by what hearing their names made him feel.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yasha: Warm, safe.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Beau: Energetic, cool.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jester: Energetic, light.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Fjord: Calm, light.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nott: Energetic, warm.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Caleb: Warm, light.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They had gone to Zadash, and Keg had found someone to send a message. Then Keg decided to haul their asses over to Felderwin. When they got there, Keg had briefly gone into town on her own, and when she returned they decided to stay on the outskirts of town.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Molly stayed out of the way. He tended to drift off and daydream. When he wasn’t staring off into the distance, he danced with his scimitar. He felt off-balance, like something wasn’t right. He thought he should have a second blade. That seemed right.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Keg managed to score a place helping the guard, unofficially. She came back tired from running around, and Molly would help her take off her armor, before they worked together to make dinner. After all, neither of them were particularly good at cooking.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Molly asked her if he fought with two blades before. Keg had looked up, surprised, and asked if he remembered. Molly had shaken his head, and told her of the imbalance.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It didn’t escape Molly that Keg was slightly disappointed at that. At whenever he came close to recalling something. It didn’t escape Keg either, that Molly was growing frustrated with himself as well.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Keg told Molly as much as she could about his friends, about him. There were times where he soaked it up, and times where it only made him upset. So she stopped talking about it unless he asked first.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>This Molly talked less than the one she had met, and with simpler words and phrasing. Like he was pulling whatever he could reach from his subconscious, buried far away. Some things seemed to be more instinctual, reflexes, habits.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It always unnerved Keg whenever she saw him with his blade. One night he had been particularly upset, and he had stepped away to swing his sword about. In his muddled mind he had nicked himself. For a while, he stared at the blade as it glowed in his hand, and blood dripped to the ground. He seemed to calm down, and when the blade stopped glowing, he continued to stare off and watch the dusk fade into night.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He stayed up for hours after that, as he usually did. Didn’t fall asleep until late into the night, and was never awake when Keg woke for breakfast. He ate, she knew that much, but she didn’t think he was eating enough. Molly had a particular fidget that she noted, too, like he was playing with phantom cards.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Keg managed to get her hands on another scimitar for Molly to use. After all, the most she could do was make him comfortable, and give him the best ability to defend himself. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Several times, Keg had stopped, and wondered what on earth she was doing. Babysitting an insomniac amnesiac. But she kept doing it. If anything, it was kind of nice, not being completely alone. Maybe after Molly rejoined the Mighty Nein, she would find another travelling companion. She’d lost before, but… Maybe she didn’t have to be alone. As long as it was their choice to join her, and the risks that came with what they did.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Molly would spend some of his time cleaning his jewelry, and re-learning what he had decorated his body with. Trying to recall why he had picked them. Once, Keg had accidentally seen more than she bargained for when Molly was looking at his tattoos. Keg couldn’t look at him for the rest of the day, but Molly was completely unbothered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>~~~~~~</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Mighty Nein had finished interrogating Nott the Brave when Caduceus noticed the dwarf in full plate armor. “Hey friends,” He said to the cart, “I think I see another friend.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?” Jester asked, and stuck her head out. Upon seeing the dwarf, she chirped. “Oh hey! Beau! Look, it’s Keg!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Beau scrambled out of the cart as if she’d been hasted, and tumbled to the ground, rolling up to her feet and running. She skidded to a stop in front of Keg.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Looks like she really wanted to see Keg, huh?” Jester commented, eyebrows wiggling. Fjord and Caleb looked wary, while the others climbed out to greet Keg, Yasha trailing behind.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Away from the rest of the Might Nein, Beau had a hard time finding her voice. “Is- Is it- Actually him?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m pretty sure. First thing he said was your guys’ names, but he doesn’t remember.” Keg replied.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Take me to him.” Beau said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, didn’t expect to see you here. Or at all.” Fjord commented.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh, Keg’s the one who had the message sent.” Beau said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You didn’t say that before.” Caleb said, giving a respectful nod to Keg.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Look, guys, I need to go ahead of the group for a minute.” Beau said, and looked to Caduceus. “Cad, would you come with me?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, sure. Where are we going?” Caduceus asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll tell you on the way.” Beau said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“More secrets?” Fjord asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Beau felt like he’d landed a hit to her sternum. “I just need to check it out first. Please, trust me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We trust you, Beau, we’re just worried.” Jester said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why can’t we just go with you?” Nott asked. “I don’t think it’s a good idea for us to split up right now.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can agree to that.” Caleb added.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Guys,” Beau said. “You might not… Might not like what you see.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Might.” Caduceus said. “Don’t you call ourselves the ‘Mighty Nein’?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We should stick together.” Yasha said. “We’re strongest together.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay.” Beau said, and swallowed. “But you… You guys can’t get mad at me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course not, Beau.” Jester said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Alright.” Keg said. “This way.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>~~~~~~</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Where are we going?” Jester asked as they walked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Almost there.” Keg replied. “There’s a clearing just beyond this bit of woods. We’ve been camping out here.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We?” Nott asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Just uh, don’t freak out.” Keg said. “You might scare him.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Him?” Fjord and Caleb asked at the same time.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And then the group walked into the clearing, and saw two small tents, just big enough for a single person each, and a bedroll in each. Between them was a firepit, haphazardly put together but effective enough. There were little pieces of wood, the remnants of someone learning to whittle and carve.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Beyond that, they saw a figure and froze in place. A tiefling with his back to them, practicing with two scimitars, his coat catching the breeze.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span><em>“Molly?”</em> Jester squeaked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Molly turned then, noticing the presence of others. His eyes widened, and his gaze flicked between the Mighty Nein and Keg. His gaze lingered longer on the Mighty Nein, but would jump back to Keg, as if to make sure of something. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Friends?” He asked Keg.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah.” Keg said. “This is them.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yasha seemed to be the first to remember how to move, and walked forward. “Molly?” She asked, her voice a whisper.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know you.” Molly said, his eyes wide and voice shaky. “<em>I know you</em> but I don’t remember.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He dropped his scimitars. Slowly, as if approaching a wounded animal, Yasha reached for him, and when he didn’t flinch back, she wrapped him in a hug. Molly felt warm, safe. Her embrace was familiar.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know you,” Molly cried, frustrated. “I know you.” Tears began to form in his red eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s okay.” Yasha whispered, tears forming in her own mismatched eyes. “It’s okay. It’s okay.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Molly?” Jester asked, her voice shaky.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s him.” Yasha said softly, but loud enough for them to hear. “He’s alive.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Like magnets, they were drawn towards him, and Yasha released her hold on Molly enough to let him see the others. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know you,” Molly cried, hands digging into his hair in frustration. “I know you!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Molly?” Fjord voiced. “What’s wrong?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t remember! I know you but I don’t remember.” Tears dripped down from Molly’s chin.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You don’t remember?” Nott asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No,” Molly cried. “I don’t.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>~~~~~~</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why didn’t you tell us?” Jester asked Beau. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I didn’t want to upset you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It was Molly!” Jester exclaimed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We had a right to know.” Fjord said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know you did! But what if it was Lucien?” Beau said. “How could I lead you guys to him, if it wasn’t even our friend in there?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Then we would have brought our Molly back!” Jester said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If we couldn’t? And we had to kill Lucien?” Beau returned. “Could you? Would you be able to do that? Would you be able to kill him?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jester seemed to shrink. “No.” She whispered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was a long quiet. Fjord sighed. “Ducey, what do you think?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Caduceus tilted his head and leaned back. “He’s like Jamedi. Faintly undead, but not undead. And your friend is telling the truth. He knows you, his instincts, his subconscious, his soul. But he has no memory of what his soul knows.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So he is our Molly?” Beau asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Caduceus nodded. “Yeah.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tucked under the tent, Molly was fast asleep in a snoring Yasha’s arms.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m just having trouble believing it.” Fjord said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And you weren’t there when he was killed.” Beau said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But he’s alive now.” Nott said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah. He’s alive.” Jester said, with tears in her eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She wasn’t the only one.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>~~~~~~</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t know you.” Molly said to Caduceus one night in the tunnel.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ah. That’s because you never met me.” Caduceus said. “I’m Caduceus Clay.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nice to meet you, then.” Molly said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They really missed you.” Caduceus commented.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Molly didn’t know what to say to that.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>~~~~~~</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Molly didn’t like the tunnels. It was cold, dark, and dirt, and grave-like. One giant, endless grave.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Can’t sleep?” Caleb asked on his watch.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Molly shook his head. “I have trouble sleeping normally. This makes it worse.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What is worse?” Caleb asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The tunnel. Reminds me of a grave.” Molly said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Caleb stood and stepped over their sleeping friends, to sit down next to Molly. “Usually you aren’t in a grave alone.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Molly tilted his head. “That’s true.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was silent for a minute, but Molly felt a bit more comfortable with Caleb’s shoulder brushing against his.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Did you read the note I left for you?” Caleb asked eventually.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The note?” Molly asked, eyebrows raised.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes.” Caleb said. “I wrote a letter and left it in your pocket in case you woke up again.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Molly reached into his pocket, and pulled out a worn piece of parchment. “This?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, that’s the one.” Caleb said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can’t read.” Molly said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Caleb’s jaw slacked, and then he shook his head.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What does it say?” Molly asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Who we are. How to find us.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, it’s that boring?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Boring?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not a love letter?” Molly asked, a small teasing smirk on his lips.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Caleb’s cheeks turned strawberry red. “No. It’s not a love letter.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Now, how can I trust what you say when you blush like that?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, you’ve only kissed me once.” Caleb said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I have? Do tell.” Molly asked, leaning.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, you slapped me first.” Caleb said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh dear. Now why would I do that?” Molly asked, a smirk still in place.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I was… Lost in a bad memory. You saved me from it that day.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I see. I think I’d rather have my memories, even the bad ones.” Molly said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You used to say that you didn’t want to remember who had your body before.” Caleb said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, that’s someone else. I don’t want to remember somebody else, I want to remember me.” Molly said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Caleb nodded. “Has anything been coming back?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Promise not to tell the others?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I swear.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I see little bits. An image here, an image there. I hack at a monster, and I remember hacking at a different monster. Things like that.” Molly said. “But I don’t want to get their hopes up.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You did a lot more than kill monsters.” Caleb said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I hope so. Caleb, may I ask something silly?” Molly asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Caleb nodded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Can I kiss you? Like I did before?” Molly asked. “I’d like to remember something nice.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Caleb blushed. “I, I, uh, I suppose, yes.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How did I?” Molly asked softly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, after you slapped me, you held my face like this,” Caleb took Molly’s face into his hands, then tilted Molly’s face and pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead. “Just like that.” Caleb said, and released Molly’s face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Molly stared at Caleb for a long moment, during which the wizard looked away and his blush didn’t fade. Molly took Caleb’s face into his hands, and pressed a kiss to his forehead.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Molly blinked. “There’ll be time for that later.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Caleb’s eyes widened. “You remembered-?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Molly grinned. “You have quite the proclivity for fire, Mr. Caleb.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A smile pulled at Caleb’s lips. “How much do you remember?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Enough to know that a forehead kiss is not a proper kiss.” Molly said. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Caleb’s blush deepened. Molly leaned in, and kissed him. A light, chaste kiss.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So what did that letter really say?” Molly asked against Caleb’s lips.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Caleb drew back, only to rest his head against Molly’s shoulder. “I missed you.” He said instead of answering Molly’s question.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>~~~~~~</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Molly had been acting more and more like himself each day. At one point, his head shot up and he turned to Caleb. “The syphilis bandits.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You remember?” Jester’s head whipped around, her focus snatched away from Beau’s narration of Tusk Love.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“A bit. It’s coming back to me.” Molly said happily.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>~~~~~~</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>One evening, while they were eating, Molly spoke up. “I met Lucien.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?” six voices exclaimed in unison.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“When I died. I met him.” Molly said. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What was he like?” Fjord asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“An asshole.” Molly replied. “I’m glad he’s not here.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Me too.” Yasha said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Forgive me for asking,” Caduceus asked, “But who’s Lucien?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, he’s the guy who had my body before I did.” Molly said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Caduceus’ eyes narrowed, and then he relaxed, and nodded. “Alright.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What did Lucien say?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mostly, he called me a thief and desecrator and tried to kill me.” Molly said. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re right, he was an asshole.” Nott said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah. Okay, so now, explain to me about this whole ‘husband’ thing, because I’m a bit lost.” Molly said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>~~~~~~</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Molly and Caleb found a moment to themselves. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Does it bother you that I kissed you?” Molly asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No.” Caleb said, turning scarlet.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“May I do it again?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“...Yes.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>For the rest of the trip, Molly would steal little moments, and pepper Caleb with light kisses. And if the tunnel felt less like a cold grave next to the warm, socially awkward wizard, who was to judge him for floating around the wizard's side?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Caduceus was the only one who noticed, and he thought it was sweet.</span>
</p>
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